Best card readers with app for iPhone and Android phones

At MobileTransaction, we’ve spent the last decade testing mobile card readers to help you make an informed decision.

And I’m happy to say that the terminals I’ve tested and reviewed are more affordable and run smoother than the ones I used in retail years ago.

There’s now a good selection of contract-free, inexpensive card readers that work with an Android or iPhone app (all in this comparison work with both).

We like this setup because the app often offers more features than traditional card machines – it’s a more flexible solution.

The card readers don’t typically have monthly fees, lock-in or complicated fees. Instead, you purchase it upfront and pay a fixed fee per transaction.

We know this is attractive for merchants who cannot commit to ongoing costs, and perfect for new businesses looking to start up quickly.

We also look at the app that comes with the card reader, as it may serve as your main point of sale (POS) system. Some card readers for phones only have a basic payment app, while others go beyond that with a product library, staff logins, payment links, etc.

So the best card reader is not just about build quality – we also test the app, compare costs and see if it integrates with other tools.

If you want to accept contactless payments directly on your phone without a card reader, see our comparison of Tap to Pay solutions.

For independent terminals, see:

Card machines for small businesses in the UK

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Photo: Emily Sorensen (ES), MobileTransaction

The card reader costs £34 + VAT and has no monthly fees or contractual commitment. All you pay is a fixed 1.69% per transaction for any type of card, or 0.99% for domestic cards (1.99% for international and commercial cards) with a £19/month subscription.

Buying it as a bundle with a stand costs £49 + VAT.

Air works with SumUp App, a simple POS system with a product library, user accounts, sales overview, payout reports and online payment options.

SumUp users can send email invoices or payment links, set up a basic online store from the app, display or print QR codes for payments and accept telephone payments through the in-app virtual terminal. You can also sell digital gift cards that can be accepted through the app.

Accepted cards

What’s more, the free SumUp Mastercard links with your very own online Business Account with access to transactions the day after, weekends included. Alternatively, payouts can reach your bank account within 2-3 working days.

For a more complex till, the Air reader can be used with the SumUp Point of Sale software for full-fledged retail or hospitality functions. SumUp integrates with Xero and Sage for accounting and Wix, PrestaShop and WooCommerce for ecommerce.

Customer support is available on weekdays between 8am and 7pm and weekends between 7am and 5pm. Signing up  and ordering the card reader is easy and quick through the website.

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Photo: ES, MobileTransaction

Square Reader only costs £19 + VAT, and the pay-as-you-go transaction rate is 1.75% for all card payments. There are no monthly fees or contract lock-in to worry about.

You can get a charging dock for £29 + VAT too, and connect the hardware with receipt printers, kitchen printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners.

The free Point of Sale app has enough features to serve most small businesses. Its inventory library tracks stock, and the till menu shows various product options and the ability to mark transactions for eat-in, eat-out, delivery or pickup.

You can schedule staff shifts, track breaks, export payroll data and analyse employee sales, and the app Square Team lets staff log their own hours. More employee features cost £20/month per location.

Accepted cards

There are also customer lists, sales reports, order management, invoicing and more in the app. Electronic gift cards can be sold and accepted, payment links created, QR codes generated for contactless selling, and any payment method accepted including Clearpay (buy now, pay later).

Square’s browser dashboard has a free virtual terminal for telephone payments, an online store builder, detailed reports and options to subscribe to POS systems for retail, restaurants and a scheduling system. Square also integrates with much external software for e.g. accounting, online ordering and ecommerce.

Payouts reach your bank account in 1-2 working days, but there’s an instant transfer option (not available to all) for an extra fee of 1%.

Square’s customer support is available on weekdays between 9am and 5pm. You sign up online through a simple form, order the card reader and wait 3-5 working days for the delivery.

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Photo: ES, MobileTransaction

We don’t recommend buying the card reader before your Merchant Account has been completely approved. We did the mistake of ordering it after the immediate, automatic approval of it, only to have the account on hold in the following days while Revolut requested more information.

The keypad-less card reader looks functional and akin to a retro pocket gaming device in its plastic casing. We had some technical issues with it, but it was eventually resolved and we received a free replacement.

Accepted cards

We tried the chat support available to all account users, but the support agents were rarely able to help. It took several days or weeks to fix any issue. Still, the app is regularly updated and bugs fixed, which can’t be said of certain competitors.

Overall, Revolut Reader could be a nice extra for those who need simple in-person payments in addition to payment links and a business account. New features are gradually added, for example a product catalogue for itemising bills and Tap to Pay in the iPhone app.

The new Revolut POS iPad app also integrates with Revolut Reader. We tried it and can say it’s mainly sufficient for small cafés with its simple table plans, food menus and service charges.

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Photo: Emmanuel Charpentier, MobileTransaction

When testing it, we found the latest version (Zettle Reader 2) ergonomic, small, lightweight and sturdy. It comes in white or black and can connect with a till drawer, barcode scanner and receipt printer. The optional charging stand (Zettle Dock) keeps it in place on a countertop.

Zettle Reader works with the free app Zettle Go on most tablets and smartphones. It has a product library, transactions overview, basic sales reports and acceptance of cards, cash, payment links and gift cards.

Accepted cards

The card reader works with other POS systems like Lightspeed, Epos Now and Tabology, and integrates with Xero and QuickBooks for accounting and Shopify, BigCommerce and PrestaShop for ecommerce.

Transactions automatically clear in your bank account within 1-2 working days.

But Zettle’s app has hardly been developed further since PayPal took over Zettle – features like invoicing and PayPal QR codes have actually been removed.

The lack of investment in the product means we can’t recommend it as a solution that will definitely continue for years, unless you’re happy with it for your current situation.

Zettle only provides customer support on weekdays between 9am-5pm via telephone, email and chat. To sign up, you submit a short registration form online and order the card reader.

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Photo: MobileTransaction

The cheapest subscription you can have with WisePad 3 is Starter for £5 + monthly for a few online selling tools. This has the high rate of 5% per card reader transaction.

The full-fledged online store plans (£19-£344 + VAT/month) have lower rates between 1.5%-1.7%. Annual contracts are cheaper per month.

A limited version of the Shopify POS app (POS Lite) is included on all plans, but you can upgrade to Shopify Retail (with POS Pro) for £69 + VAT monthly per location. This has a chip and tap card rate of 1.7% and many features for unifying online with in-store sales, for instance a smooth Click & Collect system.

Because of the ongoing monthly cost, the card reader is only really worth it if you’re also using Shopify for an online store.

Accepted cards

The POS app has genuinely good features for e.g. product and order management, customer profiles, staff accounts and integration with receipt printers, cash drawers and barcode scanners. POS Lite is recommended for on-the-go sales, whereas POS Pro is better for a full setup in a retail shop.

Transactions are settled in your bank account within 6 working days, which is the slowest in this comparison. All subscriptions include 24/7 customer support and online help guides.

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The card reader has a PIN pad, looks like a calculator and accepts contactless payments and chip and PIN. What’s more, Elavon MobileMerchant does not connect with a cash drawer, barcode scanner or receipt printer, so it is purely for mobile transactions.

In the MobileMerchant app, you need to enter the transaction amount with an item description. It’s possible to add a tip, discount and VAT, accept cash and send e-receipts, but that’s about it. There’s no product library or other advanced features.

The app is rarely developed and actually had year-long breaks between updates (not to add features, only fix issues). Evidently, Elavon does not prioritise this service.

A healthy card reader app should be updated regularly to fix bugs and keep up with iOS and Android software. Unsurprisingly, users complain of technical issues preventing them from using the card reader.

Accepted cards

Elavon merchants have a free virtual terminal in the web dashboard to accept over-the-phone payments for a higher transaction cost. They also benefit from fast settlement – one working day – but this is not guaranteed.

Customer support is provided 24/7 for merchants, which is a luxury for a pay-as-you-go credit card reader.

Signing up is more tedious, though – you complete an online form (takes around 15 minutes) and have to submit various documents for verification. Once onboard, you can order the card reader.

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The card reader doesn’t work with receipt printers, cash drawers or barcode scanners, but it does take swipe cards on top of contactless and chip cards. In addition, the trusted ‘Barclaycard’ logo on the terminal may put some customers at ease.

You’d think a banking giant like Barclays would only have amazing products, but the latest app is poorly designed and looks neglected. There’s a product library, refunds, digital receipts and a transactions overview, but these features are standard elsewhere.

What’s more, the app was last updated over half a year ago, which means it is buggy. User ratings frequently mention bugs, connectivity issues and a lack of customer service when they report the issues.

Accepted cards

However, you can’t fault the low transaction fee of 1.6% for Visa, Mastercard or JCB cards. This is the lowest fixed rate available for an app-based reader, except for the high subscription tiers with Shopify’s card reader (where the fee is 1.6% or 1.5%) and Revolut for domestic cards.

Standard payouts take between 2 working days and a week, but next-day settlement is available for some users.

To register, you complete an online application, which should take about 15 minutes. But beware – your chance of approval “depends on financial circumstance and borrowing history”, which is stricter than elsewhere.

Other credit card readers

A few services have gone out of business: WorldPay Zinc, Worldpay Reader, Payatrader and Intuit Pay. PayPal Here was discontinued and replaced with Zettle Reader (PayPal owns Zettle).

The European neobank Viva Wallet offers a Mini Card Reader that works with its app, and this is available for UK merchants.

Then there’s a Stripe card reader for existing platform users. Card machines by Stripe can be more complicated, as they need to be programmed by a developer.

You sometimes see other UK options, but without the tech funding to update software and adapt the product quickly, these card readers do not get good reviews. In the end, the fittest survive – which is good news for small businesses.